Top DIY Curb Appeal Tips To Hone In On During Your Spring Quarantine

By Maddi Arcurio

Buyers begin judging your home from the moment they pull into your driveway. While there are many things that are completely out of your control as a home seller, the condition of your property isn’t one. Since a buyer’s first impression of your home is of the condition of your exterior, 94% of real estate agents recommend their clients improve their home’s curb appeal before listing. Now that the nation is dealing with COVID-19 and you may have plenty of time on your hands while you’re home quarantining, here’s some DIY tips to impress buyers.

DIY curb appeal tips

Even if you’re not an experienced landscaper, there’s still plenty to do if you have enough time — and thanks to recent quarantine measures, you may have a lot of time on your hands. If you want to attract buyer attention, your exterior will have to stand out — and that means your landscape needs to be clean and neat. Don’t worry about adding anything fancy or expensive, as simple maintenance may set your home high above the competition.

Get out your clippers and start trimming down your overgrown shrubs, mow your grassy lawn, and overhaul your hardscapes (like fences, walkways, and driveways). Some of these might seem like expensive tasks. For instance, repaving a driveway might sound exhaustive, but it’s easy to simply line driveways with pavers instead of replacing the existing surfaces. When it comes to mowing a lawn, all you need to know is to keep the length between 2 and 3.75 inches depending on your grass type.

DIY on a budget

So you’re not trying to break the bank, but you are trying to spruce up your curb appeal during quarantine? You’re in the majority. Experts say 10% of your home’s value should be invested in landscaping. That means if you have a $200,000 home, landscaping improvements should cost $20,000. Luckily, there are plenty of projects that don’t require much monetary investment. In fact, realtor’s rank standard lawn care maintenance as number one on the list to appeal to buyers — higher than more expensive endeavors like adding a new pool, water feature, or patio.

Simply cleaning your exterior and grooming your greenery go a long way toward improving your home’s appearance — both of which require more time and effort as opposed to money. However, there are certain investments well worth the expense. According to experts, the best inexpensive curb appeal boosters are colorful paint or spray paint (for the front door), an inviting welcome mat, pronounced house numbers, and a modern mailbox. These are all relatively cheap items, but they go a long way when it comes to impressing potential buyers.

Overall, don’t worry too much about throwing money at your property’s exterior presence. A new coat of paint on the front door and a freshly mowed lawn leaves a great first impression on potential buyers. And — as an added bonus — they’re easy tasks to tackle during quarantine!